CCS Detroit Transportation Design MA show 2026

CCS’s Transportation Design course has been running for over 60 years, producing industry legends such as Ralph Gilles, Mark Allen, Jelani Aliyu and Joel Piaskowski. Therefore, the MA showcase is always an exciting event, revealing what the future of car design could look like. This year looks as strong as ever, with an accomplished mix of creative directions.

First year students were tasked to conceive of and execute a vehicle of their choice this year, with a fully integrated exterior and interior design. The first semester is dedicated to designing the exterior and then the interior is the main focus for the second semester. CCS have implemented this structure to “keep the students honest in regards to the packaging, ensuring holistic ‘inside-out’ consideration of vehicle concepts”. This year, the concepts are inspired by Barcelona, Monaco and the moon.

In contrast, the second year – or Thesis – students each selected a topic of their choice. This topic must be complex to that demands extensive research and investigations into the vehicle itself – as well as how it interacts within a broader system. These projects challenged core assumptions and DNA of iconic brands and even attempted to rethink transportation infrastructure at a cross-country scale.

First year projects

Abhishek Kulkarni – Renault Juega

Named after the Spanish word for "play", the Renault Juega is designed as a practical yet exciting vehicle for Barcelona's young creative community. Despite matching a Mini in length, its compact, low-slung proportions sit 100mm lower. An upright seating position allows four occupants to fit comfortably, encouraging shared urban adventures through the narrow streets of the Barri Gòtic. Full-height glass doors extending from roof to floor maximise visibility, connecting occupants with the city's hidden corners and vibrant streetscape.

Nachiketa Jena – Jaguar Ne

The Jaguar Ne signals a rethink in Jaguar's design direction with a return to a dominantly sensual form language punctuated by a few disciplined planar exterior surfaces and strict geometries on the interior – all while prioritising the open-air experience for Monaco's winding hillside roads.

Saher Mathew – Mazda Reso

This compact shooting brake embellishes Mazda's taut sensual surfacing with the insertion of a black crystalline roof atop of which sits a retractable roof rail system, which expands to speed snowboards and their riders from downtown Barcelona to the Pyrenees. Reso's overtly tech-forward interior breaks with Mazda's current themes to reflect the next generation of creative entrepreneurs.

Seamus Goldin – DS Azure

The DS Azure is a pure and refined spin on grand touring that harkens back to the European GTs of the 1960s. Stylistically it features singular leading and trailing edges in the front and rear adorned with crystalline lamp detailing. While the Azure does not shy away from the use of full, muscular volumes, the front shoulder pinches in severely to the body side before curving out to create strong rear haunches.

Siddhartha Ghaisas – Jaguar Monaco

A second Jaguar for Monaco attempts to leverage the brand's grand touring pedigree with a large opulent four-seater. Its long lines and open view echo yacht design. A cantilevered glass roof retracts completely into the rear deck when the driver wants to bask in the sunshine. Sharp edges and lines both emerge from and slice into the otherwise clean and curvaceous volumes.

Wilde Wang – Lucid Orbit

The Lucid Orbit is a near future sedan that draws inspiration from speculations as to what it might be like to live on the moon. Behind the massive glass upper of the exterior, interior seating surfaces disappear into a void of dark space to give its passengers the sensation of being weightless. The interior design intergrates the structure, seating and UX to create a clean, comfortable experience. 

Thesis projects

Jack Liu – 2100 Afro-futurism

This year’s Thesis Select was awarded to Jack Liu. His project was ambitious in both asking and trying to realistically answer how the African continent could become a new blueprint for advanced sustainable transportation. Called 2100 Afro-futurism, the project envisions elevated roadways built atop thousands of miles of 200 meter high wind turbines and under a 60 meter wide canopy of solar panels. These power sources would generate enough energy to not only propel individual vehicles and trains using the roadways, but would also power the cities being they connect.

Jensen Moock – D-Chariot

The D-Chariot explores and celebrates the identity of Detroit. Inspired by the city's rich automotive heritage and vibrant creative culture, the project takes the form of a Lincoln-branded "high-riser" vehicle. Offered as part of a premium concierge service through the Shinola Hotel, the D-Chariot would allow both visitors and residents to experience Detroit from an elevated vantage point above the congestion of the city streets.

Kirtish Gaood – Hummer HUMVEE OG. “Off Grid”

The Hummer HUMVEE OG: Off Grid extends the brand's traditional focus on endurance into the realm of true self-sufficiency. The concept demonstrates its capabilities through a hypothetical 20,000km journey spanning the Americas, from the northernmost to the southernmost points of the continents, traversing some of the world's harshest environments and virtually every major biome. The journey would be completed using only renewable energy generated and collected by the vehicle itself. Advanced solar, hydrogen and solid-state battery technologies enable energy production and storage across a wide range of conditions, while a variable suspension system lowers the vehicle at speed to improve aerodynamic efficiency across long stretches of open terrain.